Eat More Raw Food

       Raw foods contain nutrients and enzymes that are destroyed by cooking. The human digestive tract is designed to process a diet consisting of a wide variety of foods, much of it raw and unprocessed. Juice fasting, which is a modified type of fast consisting of only freshly made juices and water or tea, lets the body rest and recuperate. Several effective therapies for not only respiratory problems but serious diseases such as cancer are based on fresh juices. A short-term juice fast, lasting a few days or a week, can bring relief from many respiratory symptoms.
     Water-only fasts are controversial for medical reasons, but juice fasting provides more nutrients and less exposure to common allergens than the normal American diet.

     Health claims made for juice therapies on late-night television may be exaggerated, but for the person fighting chronic hay fever, asthma or other respiratory problems, several days of drinking freshly made juices may bring a welcome respite from symptoms. Instead of resuming your normal diet all at once, introduce foods one at a time and monitor your reaction. Every person's response to foods and food groups is unique, and this is a simple way to test foods and their effects on the body. Experts on juice fasting recommend avoiding the juice of any fruit or vegetable you may be allergic or sensitive to, diluting juices with high sugar content, such as carrot or beet juice, with low sugar juices, such as celery; diluting fruit juices with an equal amount of water; and avoiding juice fasting if you are pregnant or lactating. Medical supervision is recommended for diabetics and others with serious illnesses.

The Importance of Diet

External strategies work well to reduce the factors that trigger allergies, asthma and other breathing problems, but none of them cure the illness. Neither do standard prescription drugs, for their function is to suppress symptoms, not correct causes.

In addition to using the tactics described above, you can treat respiratory illness from the inside out, repairing and improving the immune system so that everyday exposure to low levels of environmental toxins doesn't wreak havoc on the lungs. This same approach helps prevent colds, flu, bronchitis, asthma attacks, hay fever symptoms and sinus congestion. In fact, many experts claim that the true cause of hay fever isn't pollen or dust mites or animal dander at all; it's the human body that interprets these substances as dangerous intruders and activates the immune system to repel them. Correcting this misinterpretation can be done with herbs and diet.

Animal Dander

     Because animal dander triggers so many adverse reactions, allergists often recommend that pets be given away. In 20 years of doctor appointments for the treatment of hay fever and asthma, I was usually told on the first office visit to get rid of my cats. Like many pet lovers who receive this prescription, I refused. None of my dozen doctors offered alternative solutions, all announced in authoritative voices that there was no way to remove the problem without removing the pets and all but one expressed annoyance and irritation at patients who refuse to cooperate.

 But for every study that links pet dander to respiratory problems, others show that pet owners live longer, have happier lives, have lower stress levels and enjoy more meaningful relationships than those who don't share their lives with pets. A recent study of nursing homes showed that facilities with a resident dog have lower death rates, lower infection rates and lower staff turnover rates than those without. A study of recovering heart attack victims showed that the most significant difference between those who died within one year and those who survived was dog ownership. For many Americans, pets are members of the family. Getting rid of them, even on a doctor's orders, is as traumatic as losing a relative.

     Pet dander in carpeted homes is more of a problem than in homes with bare floors, although any rug or fabric can harbor dander. The source of the problem isn't hair that the animals shed but proteins in their saliva and flakes of skin. This is why young kittens and puppies don't trigger allergic reactions; they have no old skin to shed and therefore no dander. It isn't until the age of three or four months, or even later, that pets begin to produce the allergen. This explains how someone can develop a sudden allergy to a pet that was for months a comfortable roommate.

    Years ago my husband and I lived in a carpeted house and a few days after we steam-cleaned the carpets, we had a house guest who was violently allergic to animals. He kept looking at our cats and wondered why he wasn't sneezing. That's when we realized that animal dander in carpets can be washed away. We had wanted only to remove old stains but, as a bonus, we had a dander-free house.

    Removing dander from rugs and carpets is only part of the solution. Washing the pets themselves is just as important. Full baths were traumatic for our elderly cats, but we found they would tolerate sponge baths. Pet stores offer products just for allergy grooming: solutions you can apply with a damp cloth or spray onto dogs, cats and birds. As an alternative, simply use plain water or an herbal tea. Don't use soap; it's too harsh, strips away protective oils and is difficult to rinse out. The secret to success in using any pet allergy product is reaching the skin. Look for dander removal products in pet supply catalogs or check with your veterinarian, groomer or pet store. If you start when a kitten is tiny, you can even convince a cat to enjoy baths. My husband's red tabby, Pumpkin, was famous for his love of water. Every week I filled a spray bottle with lukewarm chamomile tea (recommended for blonds and redheads), sat on the floor, spread towels on my lap and soaked him to the skin while he purred and kneaded. After a vigorous drying off, he would lie in the sun until his fur was once again gorgeous, fluffy, sweet-smelling and nonallergenic.

    Dog and cat owners who give their animals raw food, digestive enzymes, high-quality foods, fish oils and other nutritional supplements usually notice a rapid improvement in their animal's coat: glossy fur, healthy skin and a substantial reduction in flaking or dandruff. It makes sense to reduce the production of dander at its source.

     Brush pets outdoors or wear a pollen mask while brushing inside near an air filter and follow with immediate vacuuming to reduce the accumulation of new dander. Remember that cat dander is so light that most vacuum cleaners merely redistribute it; if you're serious about controlling dander and dust mites, you need a vacuum cleaner equipped with special high-filtration bags. For best results, use carpet steam-cleaning equipment as well.

Of course, in some cases radical measures are necessary. Some people have had to find new homes for their pets when other measures failed to prevent life-threatening asthma attacks in themselves or their children. The strategies described here don't work for everyone but what many pet owners don't realize is that these strategies exist at all. I believe they're worth trying before dogs and cats are banished from any caring home.

House Plants Can Help

     One effective air filter you don't have to send away for is the house plant. When the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) discovered in 1973 that Skylab's tightly sealed air contained over a hundred toxic chemicals, the agency began a search for solutions. Learning that Russian scientists were experimenting with live plants as air purifiers, NASA hired research scientists to explore that possibility. The researchers found that all house plants share the ability to remove contaminants from the air by pulling them into their leaves. 

     The toxins migrate to the roots and into the soil, where they decompose. Trichlorethylene, formaldehyde and benzene, three common pollutants, were treated in sealed growth chambers by common plants such as the peace lily, lady palm and corn plant, any of which could clean the air in a small (10'-by-10') room. As the study discovered, the more house plants you have in a home or office, the more pure the air becomes. Other research has shown that the popular spider plant consumes tobacco smoke and that philodendrons and aloe vera are effective air purifiers. 

    To help your plant collection improve the quality of indoor air, place a layer of activated carbon at the bottom of each pot before adding soil; place a drop or two of grapefruit seed extract or tea tree oil or a tablespoon of topical hydrogen peroxide in drainage dishes every week before watering to prevent the growth of mold and bacteria in standing water; keep air circulating around the plants with a low speed fan; position plants at different heights; use a variety of plants; position shade-loving plants in areas that receive little or no natural light and place sun-loving plants near windows; use at least one plant for every 100 square feet of floor space (two is better) in rooms of average height and increase the number of plants for rooms with high ceilings, in areas in which cigarettes are smoked or in homes near busy highways. Where necessary, supplement natural light with plant lights. Feed and water your green friends and they will repay you handsomely.
    While mold can be a problem in greenhouses and other humid, plant-filled spaces, carefully tended house plants don't have to promote the growth of mold. The most common problem of this nature is over-watered plants that stand on carpeting. Any carpet that becomes saturated and prevented from drying out will develop serious mold and mildew infestation. Anyone concerned about potential pathogens in the potting soil can prevent its contact with the air by spreading several inches of aquarium gravel over the top of the soil, or you can spray the surface with a dilute solution of grapefruit seed extract and water. For a wealth of information on indoor gardening, see your local library and visit nurseries and plant stores.

Dust Mites

    Dust mites prefer warm temperatures and high humidity, conditions that are also conducive to the growth of mold, another allergen. Mold is a common problem under carpets, especially in humid climates, and it thrives on shower curtains and other bathroom surfaces. Dried flowers or plants often contain mold and anything stored in a damp basement, especially books, papers or fabric, will become musty with mold or mildew.
    Water filters or distillers, air conditioners, bare floors, plastic encased mattresses, pillows made from dacron or other synthetic fibers, the scrupulous disinfecting of humidifiers and dehumidifiers, washable blankets and bedding in place of wool or down comforters, frequent dusting with a damp cloth, frequent vacuuming with special multi-layer vacuum cleaner bags that prevent the recirculation of allergens, heating system filters, window shades in place of fabric drapes, furniture without upholstery, HEPA (high-efficiency, particle-arresting) air cleaners, chemical-free cleaning products, paints and varnishes made without irritating chemicals, the removal of fuzzy stuffed toys, the professional cleaning of air ducts, lightly (rather than tightly) closed windows and doors that provide a free exchange of air instead of sealing the building, and a ban on the smoke from cigarettes, pipes, cigars, fireplaces and wood-burning stoves all reduce exposure to environmental toxins.
     To reduce exposure to dust mites, some experts recommend putting sheets, pillows and pillow cases in a hot dryer twice a week for 10 minutes, keeping stuffed animals, shaggy rugs, quilts and dolls out of the bedroom, having pets sleep away from the bedroom and rinsing the face in hot salted water. Another treatment for dust mites is tea tree oil. A dilute solution (0.8 percent tea tree oil) can be made by combining 1/2 tablespoon tea tree oil with an equal amount of rubbing alcohol or vodka (to make it water-dispersible) and 1 quart of water. Exposure to an 0.8 percent solution of tea tree oil kills 100 percent of treated dust mites within 30 minutes. Where rinsing or sponging is inconvenient, the solution can be sprayed. It can be applied to carpets through any rug shampoo appliance. Reducing exposure reduces stress on the immune system and in some cases, that alone is all the body needs to recover and reverse the damage. See the appendix for a list of mail order companies specializing in hypoallergenic products.

Carpets, comforters and feather pillows are favorite breeding grounds for microscopic dust mites, which produce an allergenic protein in their excrement. Like dander, which is allergenic because of the proteins it contains, mite-ridden dust is not an allergen unless it's in the air. Oriental rugs hanging on the wall and dusty furniture that remains undisturbed are not allergy problems. It's when a rug is walked on, releasing dander or dust mites, or when a breeze circulates dust or when a person lies down on a feather pillow or curls up under a down comforter that the proteins in dust and dander trigger allergic reactions.

Water And Allergy

Instead of referring to drink that poison the blood circulation and impair the mind, we need to have a useful habit to drink water in large quantities. Water - a natural drink that cleanses the blood of waste products exchange, cleanses the body as a whole and cures disease. Water is one of the most important and effective drugs.
"Clean water dissolves used and useless material and transports them in the blood to the relevant bodies of selection: the liver, skin, kidneys and lungs, thus prompting the metabolic products. With the exception of air, water is the most important for the organism "product." It is derived from the body in four ways: through the lungs, skin, kidneys and intestines. Due to water toxins are removed from the tissues and dissolve. With an increase in blood volume increases and the water content, which is dissolved and removed, respectively, and more metabolic products of all organs. Useless products are discharged, as was proved by increasing the amount of urine and increased sweating skin.

The physiological benefits of water
"The cold water in large quantities specifically affects the stomach and all the organs of digestion," - says Dr. Keerend. "Her temperature is a strong reduction, cools the stomach and intestines, dissolves all deposits, without irritating them. Indeed, those who are aware of the special role of the digestive system in treating chronic diseases, can easily assess the beneficial effect of water.
There is no more effective way for the normalization of the parameters of the internal environment than water, which carries used, useless and toxic substances to the organs of the selection.

The water should be drunk several times a day. Very good to drink water immediately after getting the morning before eating. You can drink 3 or 4 cups. In any case, you should start with one cup and gradually increase the dose in subsequent days.
Water works best when the stomach is empty. Physical exercise is desirable to carry out in the fresh air. As a result, for breakfast, you will have a good appetite.

Is Atopy Per Se a Risk Factor for Having Atopic Diseases?

Taking the former proposal to consider longitudinal studies, to elucidate the attributable risk of different exposures, a cohort of more than 1,000 children was evaluated by their atopic status, and related to asthma, rhinitis, and eczema. Sensitization to dust mites was the strongest independent risk factor for having asthma  to grass pollen for having rhinitis  and to peanut for having eczema. Even though less than half of the original cohort was skin tested at the age of 4, some relevant tendencies were evident: the prevalence and severity of asthma correlated with allergen sensitization, the risk of all allergic diseases increased with the number of positive prick tests, there was a predominance of male sex at this age, but they conclude that only 30–40% of allergic diseases is attributable to atopy, and the rest to the affected organ or other factors. A recent report suggests that asthma attributable to atopy could vary depending on allergen exposure and its modifications because of the environment such as climate.

But atopy alone does not explain much of the real life, where multiple factors could influence the development of atopic diseases, such as respiratory viral infections and the development of asthma. In a cohort of more than 2,000 children, where the presence of current asthma at 6 years of life was correlated with atopy and respiratory tract infections in first year, concluded that both conditions were independently associated with a significant risk of having asthma by the age of 6. Also, maternal feeding evidences a protective behavior.

Another longitudinal study demonstrated the association of infantile chest infections with wheezing and asthma, and the importance of early life atopic status for the presence of wheezing, asthma, and bronchial hyper-responsiveness at 10 years of life. Other conditions such as familiar asthma, early passive smoking, and having eczema at the age of 4 were also significantly associated with asthma and wheezing but not with bronchial sensitivity.
We must preliminary conclude that atopy per se is not enough, neither to express atopic diseases nor to justify the increased incidence of them.

What About Infections and the Hygiene Hypothesis?

In 1989, Strachan  proposed that allergic diseases could be prevented by infections in early childhood, and the transmission of them by unhygienic contact with older siblings. Smaller family size, higher standard of living, and personal cleaning reduced the chances of spreading “protective” infections, originating the hygiene
hypothesis.
A recent comparison of two genetically related but cultural and socio-economic different populations (Russian and Finnish) evidenced higher specific IgE levels in Finnish but more total IgE and specific microbial antibodies in Russians.
Enterovirus infection represented the strongest protective factor against allergen
sensitization.
In this direction, farmers’ children from a rural environment were evaluated for atopic symptoms (by questionnaire) and atopy (by skin test), as well as endotoxin measurement. Compared to non-farmers’ children, they presented significantly fewer symptoms of current asthma (adjusted OR 0.67; 95% CI 0.49–0.91; P = 0.01) and rhinitis (OR 0.50; 95% CI 0.33–0.77; P = 0.002). If having unpasteurized milk
also, a significant reduction of atopy (OR 0.24; 95% CI 0.10–0.53; P = 0.001) and current eczema symptoms were added (OR 0.59; 95% CI 0.40–0.87; P = 0.008), while reducing IgE (P < 0.001) and increasing IFNg (P = 0.02). Pasteurized milk, vaccinations, early use of antibiotics, and the westernized lifestyle with less exposure to infectious agents could contribute to this lack of stimulation, essential in the first years of life to change the initial Th2 profile toward a Th1 just not to favor atopy development.
Ten years ago the hygiene hypothesis was suggested, an extensive analysis was done to determine its current relevance, and the conclusions were:
 (a) atopic diseases, but not necessarily asthma, are highly prevalent in smaller and more affluent families;
(b) the postulate of protective infections against atopy is immunologically plausible; the reversal is inconclusive;
(c) the modulating effects of antibiotic therapy and diet influencing intestinal flora need to be evaluated extensively;
(d) The inverse association of family size and allergic sensitization could potentially help to discern underlying causes of the increasing prevalence of atopic diseases.
However, the Th1/Th2 paradigm and how it fits in the hygiene hypothesis must be analyzed. Table 1 considers how all these factors affect both Th2 and Th1 illnesses, and its scheme outlines factors influencing immune system development at different time points.
In this context, genetically inheritance should be the beginning, while the attributable genetic risk ranges from 30% to 80% depending on the disease considered.
Then, susceptibility to multiple exposures will determine if “western and industrialized world” affects the development of atopic diseases in these individuals.
There, developing countries with the objective of reaching a better quality of life increase their risk as shown by the increased atopic prevalence in people who migrated to developed regions and in urban cities when compared to rural.
As a conclusion, we do not need to go back in evolution, we must maintain the control over infections, but need to clarify the role of each microbial stimulus (especially at the gastrointestinal tract), in parallel with genetic background and every co-factor. Large longitudinal birth cohort studies, getting representative
biological and environmental samples, will help us in the future.

Work Exposure

With an obvious gap in concentration, some same outdoor pollutants could be found at working places. But time and dose exposure could promote the starting of irritant asthma, like sulfite mill workers in whom sulfur dioxide established a risk of four to six times greater for new-onset medical-diagnosed asthma. Not only
pollutants are capable of inducing asthma, instruments and surface cleaners, adhesives and latex particles have been implicated in that process within healthcare workers. The list of demonstrated provoking agents, as well as mechanism involved, goes beyond the present analysis.

What About Environmental Pollution and Work Exposure?

The effects of air pollution have been described some years ago as significantly harmful in children with elevated IgE and bronchial hyper-responsiveness. Airborne particulate of a size of less than 10 μm (PM10), sulfur dioxide, black smoke, and nitrogen dioxide provoked lower airways symptoms in these patients (wheezing
and dyspnea), as well as a decrease in peak expiratory flow greater than 10% while
particulate amounts increased.
PM10, nitrogen dioxide, and carbon monoxide showed a considerable correlation with emergency assistance in children, but not in adults. In children under 5 years, peak carbon monoxide level was predictive of hospitalization because of asthma attack.
Going from an epidemiological to a bio-immunological approach, one of the risk factors that could explain the increasing prevalence of atopic diseases in industrialized countries has been the exposure to diesel exhaust particles, recognized as enhancer of IgE-dependent allergic inflammation, and the consequent
symptoms of asthma and rhinitis. Once again, a recent revision cannot be conclusive in considering these particles as a significant risk factor for having atopic diseases.
About indoor pollution, there is no doubt that tobacco smoke constitutes the key factor to be considered, since it has been implicated in the development of asthma in children and non-smoking adults exposed. About those smoking actively, the RR for incidental asthma was reported as high as 3.9 (95% CI 1.7–8.5).